The Lost Memory
by The-Storm-Unleashed
Summary: After seeing the strange writings on the walls and floors of Abstergo, Desmond goes back into the Animus to find a lost memory of Altair's that someone is trying to keep from him. The question is: WHY and WHO?
1. The Memory

**The Lost Memory**

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**The Memory  
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**Desmond Miles**

_What the hell? _I think to myself as I look at these strange scriptures and writings on the bedroom wall. The symbols make no sense. They are nothing of what I have witnessed. Something is seriously messed up with this company. All these things that I see… these illusions… I don't know how to explain it. The worst part is that they are written in an all too familiar substance – _blood._

Warren Vidic, the corrupt son of a bitch that had me brought here, told me that we are finished, that they found its whereabouts. I'm not sure what he means or what they found. I was thrown out of the Animus so quickly that I couldn't assess the situation with Altair after he defeated Al Mualim.

I know this is strange but I saw something when I got out of the Animus. As Lucy and Warren walked away my vision changed. I don't know how it happened or even how to explain it, but Lucy was glowing white and Warren was glowing red. The Animus showed me this once. All those who were meant to help Altair would glow white and enemies red. This would only happen in a thing Lucy called "Eagle Vision". Are humans capable of possessing such power? Whatever the case this just proved what I already know: Lucy is not the enemy but a friend, and Warren is one to be watched carefully.

I'm not sure if Lucy and Warren will return. If what Warren said was true than they are done with me and my memories of my ancestor, and if that's the case, than what are they going to do with me? Abstergo Industries is obviously not a pharmaceutical company as to which they claim. My best guess is that they will think that I "know too much" (which is quite the opposite) and they will have me killed. Is that what happened to Subject 16: the person they kidnapped before me? Maybe Subject 16 knew something about Abstergo that they don't want the world to be aware of. Well for one, kidnapping people and forcing them into a machine that does God knows what has to be some sort of felony.

I look at the wall again. I have a theory that I have conducted in my mind as to how these images have shown up. These writing and drawings come from either my mind playing tricks on me, or it is Subject 16 trying to tell me something. There is one sentence that haunts me "I went in the abyss and never returned". I don't know exactly what this means but if my theory of Subject 16 is correct, then it means that Subject 16 has lost himself to the abyss I believe to be Abstergo's corruptive power, and he cannot escape. This brings me little hope that Subject 16 might still be alive somewhere.

I leave my room. I know that if I continue to stare at this wall any longer I will fall into an abyss of madness. I go to the Animus. I look deeply into it. How can something so plain possess so much power? I look through the glass on top of the Animus and see an endless sea of wires wrapping around one another, all hooked up to something important. There is no color difference between the wires, so I wonder how the engineers of this machine fix it when it's broken. I guess they pray that it never brakes to a point where they have to pry the thing open and look inside.

I go Lucy's computer. Now I know it's wrong, and I was constantly told as a child that curiosity killed the cat, and to mind my own business, but I can't help but see what was so interesting on this computer that made her have her head hovering over the screen for hours on in. I sign in onto her Abstergo account and see an unopened e-mail. I read the heading and I am stunned to see what it says, _To Desmond. Please Read. It's very important. _I can't even fathom what can be so important that she has to tell me in the secret of her e-mails. And how the hell did she even know I was going to look in her inbox. Am I really that obvious about being nosey?

I open the e-mail and read the message.

_Desmond, _

_I know that you are probably beyond confused at this point but you must bear with me. There are memories, certain memories that I couldn't show you under Warren's supervision. Please don't wonder why because this goes far past you and anything you can control. Now Desmond you must do as I instruct you the second you get this message and not a second later. Type in the code NRXFPXNEXF1XFIXFEXL, into the Animus' main screen where it asks for the memory code this must be in that order with no space and in all caps. This code will unlock the lost memories that I so desperately kept from Warren. Please do this for me Desmond, and please pay attention. This is the cipher to the code that Warren and Abstergo have been looking for so do not tell anyone. It is a long memory and may repeat the ones that you have already seen, but I couldn't shorten it anymore than I already have. Do not be alarmed if it doesn't match the memories you have just seen. Some memories were altered by me to protect this memory. Good luck with making sense of it. This truly goes beyond us all. _

_Good Luck, _

_Lucy Stillman_

I have no clue what this means but I know that I have to do what Lucy tells me. She seemed frantic in writing this e-mail. And hell, I'm pretty curious as to what Lucy is trying to hind from Warren so badly. I go to the Animus' main screen and type in the code. It's really annoying going back in forth from the letter to the main screen. Why couldn't Lucy make the code to this memory sorter? But as elaborate as it is, it does look strangely familiar.

I finally enter the entire code in and press enter. A window pops up that reads, _No life forms detected in Animus!_ I press ok and lay down on the Animus. I wait for a second and nothing happens. That glass halo thingy doesn't move in front of my face.

"God damn it Lucy! How am I supposed to do this myself?" I yell out loud.

I think deeply. There is obviously a way to do this otherwise Lucy wouldn't go through all this trouble just to be stopped by something as stupid as this. This equipment is beyond anything I have seen in the real world. There has to be a way that a person can place themselves in the Animus without needing other person's assistance. I think of all the ways a person can do this by themselves. I think of a remote but if Lucy were to make a remote and hide it she would have told me in the letter, so I rule that out. One thought comes to my mind and it's worth a shot because I am desperate at this point.

"Enter code." I say loudly and clearly.

A few seconds pass by and I figure voice activation is not the right way, but I am startled when I hear the all too familiar noise of the Animus finding the memory. Then, I am flung into the white worm hole into Altair's lost memory.


	2. First Sight

_Okay so in this Chapter Desmond is going to have random thoughts outside of the Animus. His thoughts are going to be **Bolded**. So if you see random sentences that are bolded, that is Desmond's thoughts outside of the Animus. Hope you all enjoy!! Read and Review!_

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**First Sight**

**Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad**

"I applaud your success in Damascus and Acre Altair." The wise and soft words of Al Mualim speak strongly in his quiet study. "Tamir and Garnier de Naplouse were worthy of the fate you brought upon them. Do no doubt your actions, much less the commands of your teacher. These men have the tongue of a snake and are capable of driving the most noble man to sin."

"Does that make me weak in mind master?" I ask my trusted master and teacher.

"No my child. Your mind is not weak but young. You will soon learn to diminish the line between the corrupt and the noble in time."

"Who will you have me slay now master?"

"Your next target is Talal the slave trader of Jerusalem."

"What are his miss-deeds?"

"He takes capture of the mad and diseased and ships them to Acre as slaves. You can see how a man such as this should be condemned to death. "

"Yes master. What are my orders?"

"Ride to Jerusalem, there you will meet up with the bureau leader. From there you will receive instruction on your attack. Peace be with you." Al Mualim motions his hand downwards towards the table where my weapons lay. He restores my weapon and rank once again to me.

Al Mualim turns from me and releases a messenger pidgin. For a second of my time I wonder what messages lie on the small paper that the bird brings to whomever is worthy of Al Mualim's words.

I take my hidden blade and strap it on tightly. The numbing feeling of the belts cutting off my circulation is somewhat of a comforting feeling that I lost when I was stripped of my rank and weapons. This blade is somewhat of my security blanket, without it, I am lost.

I turn away from my master's study and make my way past the gates of Masyaf. I take the reins of a brown horse, hoist myself onto its back and ride for Jerusalem.

The road to Jerusalem is an all too familiar one. I ride to the town in which I had lost my rank in seconds; a rank that took me years to attain; a rank that only I and one other assassin possessed: Malik A-Sayf. Now Malik has been promoted to Dai, and I demoted to Novice. If not for my acts in the temples of Jerusalem I would be a Dai now, giving information to those whom are called Novice.

I look up to the horizon and see a small sliver of the city of Jerusalem. A beautiful city driven away by its corruption of those men whom I am here to kill. One day someone will understand the work we assassins do as good not evil.

I dismount from my horse once I reach the city gates. I join a group of scholars and blend in so that the guards are not aware of my presence here in Jerusalem. Once I know that I am from the direct vision of the guards, I separate myself from the scholars and move on. I make my way to the middle district of Jerusalem. Because I am a novice, I must gain the permission of the Dai or Rafik before pursuing my target. I know that Malik is the Dai in Jerusalem and I know that he will have no end of laughter as he realizes that I must report to him for confirmation for my kills.

As I walk the familiar route to the Assassin's Bureau, I hear a struggle beginning to emerge.

"Thief! I'll have your hand for that!" A merchant yells as he violently grabs the wrist of a young woman.

The woman does not cry for her life or plead help from anyone around. She simply recoils her body slightly as the discomfort of the table and the man's grips comes to her attention. I decide to intervene and help the young lady. Chances are, she has brothers or a family member that will watch for me in my need of desperation.

I walk over to the merchant as he embarks upon taking this young girl's hand. I bring my hidden blade to the man's throat and instant terror fills his face and body posture. "Leave the girl." I say in a low, ominous tone.

**Wait, what? This never happened. **

"You don't know what you are doing boy." The man replies with all his might to sound intimidating but fails in my eyes.

"Leave the girl." I repeat. And the man so viciously throws the girls wrist away from the table.

The merchant growls in anger and moves on to his own stand. I look over at the woman that I just saved. Her face is hidden behind the hood of a black cloak, and her eyes are fixed onto the ground. I move one step towards her and she is gone. The woman runs from me, hiding in the busy crowds of Jerusalem. I run after her. I want the woman to know I saved her, and I want her to pay me for the good deed that I have done. I am faster than her, however she ran before I, and the crowds move not for my case. She looks back at me and I catch a glimpse of her face. She is not a girl as I accepted; she is in fact a young woman no older than thirty. She leads me on a chase that heads to the poor district of Jerusalem. The woman is smart, the poor district is filled with people wondering the streets, if I were any ordinary man I would lose her in seconds, however I am an assassin, it is my life to stalk my prey in any condition.

**What's going on? Is this the memory that Lucy was talking about?**

The woman is unfortunate as she leads herself into a corner. I approach her in a non-threatening way. I don't want to scare the poor girl. She turns towards me and I lift my hands up in surrender. The girl peaks through the hood of her cloak. I continue to move my ground towards her, when suddenly she turns from me and begins to climb the building wall. I watch the way she climbs the wall. I watch as her hands and feet take hold of every crevice. I am astonished to say that I too would take that direct route up the home. She makes it to the top and runs onto the roofs of the buildings. I decide to no longer pursue this young woman. Yet I continue to linger on the thought of how someone such as herself is capable of accomplishing what she just did.

I turn away from the alley I chased the girl into and make my way to the Bureau. I will not discuss what I just endured with Malik for two reasons, 1, I'm sure Malik would not care to hear of what happens in my life, and 2, I'm quite sure it is nothing I should let my mind worry over.

I climb the ladder that leads to the Bureau and jump down from the roof. I make my way into the room where Malik waits for my presence. Malik has his head in a book of nonsense that I care not to worry about.

"Safety and Peace Malik." I say as I walk in.

"Your presence deprives me of both." Malik speaks in a livid tone of voice.

**Okay, now things are back to normal? What was so important about that memory that it couldn't be shown in front of Warren? So Altair chased some chick. What does that have to do with Warren and Abstergo? **

Malik is only advised to tell me where I can find information about my target. From there, I will have to learn where to find where my target lies, and where I will strike him down.

I take my leave from the Bureau and make my way through the city of Jerusalem to find the information that I need. I walk amongst the town and listen to the words of those whom walk the streets of Jerusalem. Nothing attracts my attention. My mind begins to wonder as I walk the streets. I can't help but think of the woman that I chased. Her face haunts my mind, even though I've seen not her entire face. My mind screams with regret that I did not lay my eyes on the total of her face. From what I saw, she was beyond stunning.

"Talal is not one to fight." My ears find in the crowd of words. I make my way to the two men who speak to each other of my target. "At the first sign of trouble Talal flees from the scene and hides in many areas of the town." One man says.

"And how am I to know where Talal hides?" The other man asks.

"I have created a map that has the location of all the places that Talal takes refuge."

"Give it here."

"Keep it safe, for without this map, we will have no hope of destroying the evil that is Talal."

"Yes, yes." The man gives the other the map and I make my move. I make my way through the crowd and follow the man with the map. Without a soul knowing, I slip my fingers through his side pouch and snatch the map from this man. I then flee the scene without anyone knowing of my presence.

I walk amongst the people of Jerusalem. I listen to the words that fall from the lips of the people that walk these streets. There are so many conversations that mean nothing to me or anyone else in this world. It seems that most people in this world do not realize the situations that rid the streets in front of their homes. Some believe that it is simple politics, however when innocent people are being forced against their will into slavery, then it goes beyond politics.

"Altair!" I hear the desperate cry of one of my brothers. I see one of my assassin brothers standing in a corner watching the crowd frantically. "Thank goodness you are here." I stop and listen to what my brother so desperately needs. "Al Mualim has asked that I take the lives of three templar guards, but they have seen my face and now they are searching for me. Please Altair, kill these men and I will give you information that you will find very valuable."

I decide that I will help my friend. The streets are quiet with gossip, so I need everything that is handed to me. I leave from my brother and make my way in the crowds in search for the templar guards. I find one on top of a roof. I climb the opposing roof so that I am not spotted by the templar. If any of them see me, a fight will ignite and the guards will get involved and help the templar. Robert de Sable has paid a hefty price to keep the guards of Jerusalem on the templar's side.

I reach the top of the opposing roof. Because my throwing knives were taken away I cannot kill the man from here. I must get closer and take him with my hidden blade. I slowly make my way towards the templar. I walk on top of the roofs until I am only a roof away from the guard. I wait until his back is to me, and then I strike. The templar goes down with me. He lets out a quiet yelp of pain, but is not heard by anyone but me.

As I get up off of my dead target I spot the next target walking in the crowd. I take a leap of faith off of the building and into a hay stack. I jump out and follow my next target. This one will be more difficult to kill. There are not only people that surround him, but guards as well. I must wait for the right moment to strike him. The templar stops and speaks a few words with the guards on duty, and then he moves on and continues to walk. I follow him into an empty lot where an old house once stood. The guards stops and looks around for young children who often play in the wreckage. This is where I strike. I bring my hand to his throat and thrust my hidden blade out. The blade pierces his throat. The blade retracts and I leave the scene before the man can fall to the ground.

Only one templar remains. I make my way to the courtyard where I have an open view of the area. In seconds, I spot my target. He makes his way from the courtyard to a busy narrow street full of people. I follow the guard closely. With this many people around him, I am but another blade in the crowd. The sound of merchants calling you to them fills the air. I look around and I notice that this is the place where I saved the woman from the merchant. I see the merchant that I had the altercation with, but I do not spot the woman. She has probably fled the city, to rid herself of the danger of seeing the merchant again.

I release my thoughts of the woman, and focus on the task at hand. The templar guard has gained distance between the two of us. I begin to walk faster and in seconds I am right behind him again. With my hidden blade and the vast amount of people around, I can take out the guard without him knowing it was ever me. I extract my blade and move it towards the templar when he looks behind and sees my face.

"Assassin!" He yells out. And with that single word, the crowd erupts in mayhem.

**Wait huh? Altair was never seen in his mini assassinations. **

The templar guards runs from me and I am quick to follow. I will not let this man escape alive with my face in his mind. The man leads me on a long chase that grabs the attention of many bystanders. I know what the templar is doing. He will lead me to a place where there are massive amounts of guards so I will have to fight them all, and then I will lose my target to the commotion. But when the templar begins to climb a building I realize that that is not his plan. I follow him up the building as well. I am quite behind him so I will have to pick up the pace when I reach the rooftop. However when I lift myself onto the top of the roof, the templar is dead. Blood leaves his chest from an open wound originating from a dagger. I look up and see who is responsible for killing my target. I see the face of the woman from the merchant stand.

She stands before the templar with a bloody dagger in her hand and his blood stained on her hands. She watches my moves and waits to see what I will do.

**The girl! She's back! And she killed the guard? But why?**

"Who are you?" I demand in a voice as stern as a father would use to his misbehaving child. The woman turns away from me and begins to slowly flee the scene. "Wait!" I yell and she does so. "Why did you help me?"The woman turns around and all I can see of her are her lips, which curve up the right side of her face. "Speak woman!" I demand, and the smile leaves her face.

"Why did you save me?" She asks back. Her voice is soft and that of a true angel.

"You were in trouble." I say.

"There is your answer."

"I did not need your help woman."

"Nor did I yours assassin." She snaps back.

"You we about to have your hand cut off."

"And you were about to lose your target."

"How do you know that I was an assassin?" I ask suspiciously.

"You are a man that chases a target, a templar target at that, and," she walks towards me, swinging her hips like a lioness, "you carry around this." She grabs a necklace that hangs down to my chest with her dagger. "The symbol of the assassins." She says. I realize now that this woman knows far more than any outsider of the creed should know.

"How do you know of our symbol? How do you know of our creed?"

"I never said anything about a creed assassin." And I take in the realization that I have just spoken of my creed to an outsider. "You are quite young and naïve, assassin."

I know that if a stranger of the creed were to learn too much, then our duty to keep the secret of the creed is to kill the one who knows too much. However for the first time I feel as if I cannot bring myself to kill this woman. "Please," I say, "Speak of this to no one."

"Your secret is safe young assassin." I look at the woman and realize that she is no older than I.

"Tell me your name."

The woman takes a few steps away from me. "There is no need for that." She says in a serious tone.

"Please. I would very much like to know."

"Maybe another time assassin."

"And if there is no other time?"

"Then you shall never know." She says with a smile. "You better go to your friend and tell him of your success in killing these men." She says with a larger smile.

"Are you watching me?" I ask suspiciously.

"Someone needs to." And with that the woman leaves me with nothing more but the last glimpse I took of her stunning face.

**Who is this girl? Why is she watching Altair? And what is so important about her?**

I go back to my brother and tell him that I have succeeded. I tell him not of the girl and what she did. He would think I was mad that a woman would help an assassin kill. Or that a woman was capable of killing. He tells me that Talal is very well liked by his men, and that they would see death to themselves before Talal. This is not new information to me, and it doesn't mean much. However this investigation led to my seeing the woman again. And this time she spoke to me, and if that's what I get from this investigation, then that is good enough for me.

I walk the streets for more information for my assassination. I find myself looking for the woman again. If she is following me as I suspect her of doing so, then she must be watching me from somewhere. I look on the rooftops and at the faces of the crowd but no matter how hard I look, I cannot find her. And no matter how much I try to rid her of my thoughts, she haunts them even more. And in my thoughts, I can never escape her.


	3. Ezio Auditore da Firenze

**Ezio Auditore da Firenze**

**Desmond Miles**

The Animus throws me out of the memory and I am left with more questions than answers. For one: What? How the hell was this memory influential to anything? Honestly it was just random acts that mean nothing to me. I am trying hard to think of some subliminal message that might be hidden in this memory, but I find nothing. The way I see it, it's just Altair bumping into some girl. If that's all of the memory, then there is nothing influential about it. Honestly, the memory could have been cut because it was pointless, not because it help information that Abstergo needs.

I sit up off of the Animus and fling my legs over. I sit there for a while and think about what Lucy wanted me to see in this memory. After minutes of trying to figure it this memory, I decide to drop it and go back to the room. Lucy told me once that if I don't go to sleep right after a memory trip it could lead to some serious mind problems. I walk in the room and look at the wall of symbols. They all glow a bright red, but only in my "eagle vision". I try again to de-cipher the code of what these strange symbols mean, but nothing comes to mind.

I start to move towards the wall of symbols, when I hear someone walk in. I look over to my right and see Lucy run into my room with a frantic look on her face. She tells me that we don't have much time and that we need to move fast. I don't know what's going on with Lucy, but I do notice that she has blood on her shirt. I don't know where it came from, or even if I want to know where it came from, all I know is that it's there.

Lucy takes me to the Animus and I figure that she is going to explain the memory that I just saw. She demands that I get in, and judging by the tone in her voice, she means business. I get in the Animus and am thrown into another memory.

I am startled when I hear the sound of a woman screaming on the top of her lungs. At first I think she is in danger, but I later see that she is giving birth to a child. The child is born yet there is no sound of its cries. The mother and her maids fear for the young boy's life, however the father says something in Italian to the child and it begins to move and cry.

The Animus throws me out of this short memory that I don't really understand. I am beyond confused that I don't even think a simple explanation will put my mind at ease.

"Come on, we need to go." Lucy says and runs for the door. I follow her in hopes that maybe she will take me to somewhere that leads to some explanations.

"What was up with that birthing scene?" I ask as Lucy tries to find her way around.

"I don't have time to explain Desmond. Especially not here. When we get to our new headquarters I'll explain everything."

"And where will that be?"

"I'm sorry Desmond, but I can't tell you that."

Lucy and I run around the labyrinth of halls that make up Abstergo. Occasionally we run into some guards and fight them until the cost is clear again. We go into this laboratory/warehouse room where there lay over a dozen cubicles. Inside some of them are mini-Animus'. I look inside some of these cubicles and see people watching video of subjects in their rooms. Subject in my room! They were watching us everywhere we were!

A guard spots me and they start to case after us. Lucy and I run towards the elevator. She tries to use her card and number but it doesn't work. The groups of guards are coming closer and if we don't get on that elevator soon then we are screwed. I look at the keypad when my eagle vision suddenly comes. I see four different numbers light up and I try to punch in a code. The first and second attempts don't work but like they say, the third time's always the charm. The elevator opens and we are safe. For now at least. The elevator goes down to the underground parking where we are welcomed by an assembly of guards. Again, we fight with them. I manage to catch a glimpse at Lucy. She is an extremely good fighter.

Once Lucy and I have knocked out all of the guards we run to a car. Lucy opens the truck door. "I'm sorry Desmond but…" she looks down at the truck.

"You have got to be kidding me!" I say.

"I'm sorry Desmond, but you can't know where we are going."

"This is ridiculous." I say as I climb into the trunk. I look up at Lucy as soon as I am situated in the trunk, I look up at Lucy who gives me a sympathetic/apologetic smile.

I am in the trunk of this car for about ten minutes when it comes to a halt. Lucy opens up the trunk and I find us in some sort of warehouse. There are metallic crates everywhere and a staircase that leads up a room. I follow Lucy up the stairs and listen to her talk about how we (assassins) are losing our long fought war against the Templars. So that's why we are here. Lucy wants to use the Animus to follow one of my ancestors as they learn the art of the kill so I can learn it at a rapid rate. Within days, I will be a skilled assassin, fighting against Warren, Abstergo, and any other Templar that gets in my way.

Lucy leads me to a large room where two people stay working hard behind computers. "Desmond, this is Rebecca Crane. She builds and designs Animus'. She is an engineer that used to work for Abstergo." Says Lucy walking up to the girl named Rebecca. I shake her hand and she tells me some information about why she left Abstergo and how she got involved with them in the first place.

"And this is Shaun Hastings. He is a historian, and will give you information on the people and places that you will visit in the Animus." Shaun goes on to insult me and talks about how he is not just a historian but is more than that, and that his role in all of this is very important. I know that he and I will not be the best of friends through this entire experience.

Lucy tells me to get onto the Animus which looks a lot more low-tech then the one at Abstergo. Rebecca tells me that this Animus is called The Animus 2.0, and although they don't have much money to make it look cool, they have the heart and soul to make it better than Abstergo's

I lay down in the Animus and look at Lucy, who smiles at me. "Are we going to look into that memory that you made me see?"

I see all the happiness drain from Lucy's face and her smiles is cleaned right off of her face. "You found the memory?" She asks in an astonished tone.

"Well yeah, I just hacked into your email and found the one that was addressed to me with the code. Then I went into the Animus and saw the memory. I don't really see how important it really was. I mean, it wasn't that special. It was just Altair meeting some girl."

"What girl?" Shaun jumps in.

The expression on Lucy's face shows me that I shouldn't have said anything. "I came across that memory twice in my line of work." Lucy starts to explain. "I was hoping that you wouldn't have to see it unless things went bad." I'm not sure what Lucy means by "bad", my guess is that she means her death. "It's a nothing memory. Don't worry about it."

"Lucy who was the girl that Altair met?" Shaun presses. "Was it Maria, or Adha?"

"No." Lucy says. "She was another."

"But I have searched all of Altair's history; he never became involved with another girl besides those two." Shaun begins to grow impatient with this new knowledge.

"She doesn't matter. I thought she would lead Altair to something but she didn't."

"To what?" Rebecca asks.

Lucy looks around and whispers, "To fourteen Peace of Eden's."

"Fourteen?" I utter.

"It doesn't matter. She never led him to the treasure. She ended up dying before telling anyone. Now, let's get back at the task at hand. We need to get Desmond ready." Lucy walks to her computer and throws her head in her hands.

"Oh this is great, just great." Shaun says. "We find out that there is someone with the knowledge of the location of more than a dozen of Peace of Eden's, and she won't even share any of the information with us. What a great team we have here."

"Shaun! Shut up!" Rebecca yells. "If she doesn't want to tell you then she won't tell you."

"How am I supposed to keep track of people and places when that very information is kept from me?"

"We aren't worrying about Altair anymore. We are moving on to Ezio now."

"Oh yes, great. Let's leave the one that knows everything about The Peace of Eden and move onto the young and ignorant one that knows nothing about them!"

Rebecca disregards Shaun's rants of anger and moves onto preparing me for my trip into the Animus. It takes longer than the one at Abstergo, but soon I am inside that world of a young assassin named Ezio Auditore da Firenze.


	4. The Three Women

**The Three Women**

**Desmond Miles**

Three days have passed and I am on my first break outside of the Animus. Lucy insists that staying inside the Animus for such a long time will not have a major effect on me. She says that unless I begin to hallucinate, than I have nothing to worry about.

Because we are using the Animus to help me learn the skills of an assassin at a rapid rate, Lucy takes me to the warehouse where I will practice what I have learned. I don't really feel any different stepping out of the Animus. I don't feel like I have any skills that I didn't have before.

Lucy takes me to the warehouse where I am instructed to turn on the building's security defense alarm thing. I climb up the metal crates and make my way up to the red touch-pad. When I enable the security the touch-pad turns green. I look over to my right when I get a flash of my eagle vision. I see a glimpse of a horse coming to a sudden halt, then the vision is over.

"Umm Lucy," I say in a concerned tone. "I think I just hallucinated."

"Do the visions last longer than thirty seconds?" Lucy asks from the bottom of the warehouse.

"No."

"Then it's nothing to worry about." I feel like Lucy is giving this situation the cold shoulder. I don't think Lucy wants to admit to the fact that being in the Animus for such a long amount of time is affecting my mind. If being in the Animus for too long turns me into Subject 16, I don't know what I will do with myself. But Lucy says that she is being careful with me. So let's hope so.

"Ok Desmond, that's enough for today. You should get some rest. We will continue tomorrow." I get down and start to walk with Lucy. She walks ahead of me as I find myself slipping from this world. My eagle vision comes back, and this time it lasts longer, much longer. I see horses everywhere, all coming to an abrupt halt. I look down and see a woman on the floor reaching up to me. I try to go to her but the faster I run, the farther she disappears from me.

Lucy leads me to the bed and I am fast asleep before my head can touch the pillow.

I see… Altair. A person that I thought I would never see again. He seems to be in Acre. In some sort of Templar fortress. He walks past the guards, but they don't strike. What the hell is going on? Altair looks forward to see his target. He chases his target up the ladders and roofs of this fortress. The target leads Altair up a large watchtower. Though his target is fast, Altair manages to keep up a close distance between the two. Altair makes it up the watchtower and I know now that his target has got it in for them. Altair lifts himself up over the edge and approaches his target.

The hooded target removes their hood to reveal that the target that Altair had chased was a woman! And this isn't the first time Altair has encountered this woman. I remember her. She was the woman that posed at Robert de Sable when Altair was supposed to assassinate him. He spared her life because she was not his target. Oh man, what was her name? Maria! What does Altair want with her? Altair moves towards her and kisses her! Well that was unexpected. Then, next thing I know, they're, well you know.

Thankfully my dream skips most of that and picks back up when they are finished. Altair caresses the face of the woman that he loves, looking deeply into her golden brown eyes. He kisses her head and lifts himself up. Altair walks over to the edge of the watchtower; he looks back at Maria who is laying on the ground like I saw in my eagle vision. So she was the girl. Altair performs a leap of faith and leaves Maria. I am stuck up here with Maria. Wait, since Altair is my ancestor, shouldn't I be following him? My dream moves to Maria's stomach and then ends.

I find myself waking up abruptly. I look around to see Lucy, Rebecca, and Shaun all working at their desks. Shaun looks back at me and says, "Oh look who decided to wake up."

I disregard what Shaun says and get up to see Lucy. "We need to talk." I say in a stern voice.

"Sure." Lucy says not looking away from her computer. "After you get in the Animus."

"No." I say with such authority that visibly disturbs Lucy. "We need to talk now."

"Fine Desmond," Lucy says looking away from her computer and dropping everything that she was doing. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I just had a dream about Altair getting it on with Maria. And before I went to bed I hallucinated far longer than thirty seconds about Maria and… horses? So do you mind telling me what's going on with Altair? At the moment I don't want to hear anything about Ezio. This is all about Altair."

"Well Desmond," Shaun says jumping in, "you and Ezio are the descendants of Altair. To be the descendants Altair would have had to conceive a child, and so on."

"So Maria gave birth to Altair's child?"

"Two sons to be exact." Shaun says. "Maria was one of the two women that Altair was involved with, well, that was until Lucy decided to tell us that there was a third woman." Shaun says giving Lucy a dirty look.

"Who were they?" I ask. "What were they like?"

"Well the first was a woman named Adha." Shaun begins to explain. "Adha was originally born in Acre into a moderate family. Not much is known how Altair originally met Adha, however I do know that they later bumped into each other. Adha is something called 'Chalice', which is a sacred artifact like the Peace of Eden. I don't know much of the detail behind this; all I know is that she is important in Altair's mission. Adha was held against her will in Jerusalem, under Templars' watch, when she was rescued by Altair. From her, Altair learned that the Templars had paid off Harash, the second-in-command of the Assassins, and a trusted friend of Al Mualim, to join their side. Upon learning this, Altair planned to kill Harash and run away with Adha to live a life of peace and solitude. Unfortunately, after killing Harash, Adha was kidnapped by the Templar Knight's King, Lord Basilisk. Altair trails Basilisk onto his ship where he kills him and his knights. However Adha was not on that ship, but another. Altair tries to swim after the ship that Adha was on, but fails to catch up. Skid a couple of years; and Altair find's Adha's dead body. Not much is known about her death and how it happened, all I know is that he must have loved her because her death brought him great sorrow.

"The next is Maria Thorpe. She was originally born in England. Since birth, Maria was considered somewhat of a tomboy, which back then, for a woman, was frowned upon. Though her parents tried to make her more lady-like, by forcing her to marry, Maria never found happiness in England, so she left her husband and England, and joined the Crusaders under a false male identity. Pretending that she was male proved to be difficult for Maria, and she was soon discovered by Robert de Sable. However, Robert enjoyed Maria's company and heart and overlooked her gender. But I think he kept her alive to satisfy his pleasures, but that's just my thought. Anyways, Maria, although she didn't believe in Robert's teachings, respected Robert and was willing to die for him; thus leading up to her false impersonation of him during Altair's attack. Robert learned of Altair's plan to assassinate him, so he made Maria take his place at the funeral. As you know, when Altair finds out that she impersonated Robert, he spared her life because she was not originally his target. Maria, with gratitude, tells Altair the location of where Robert really is. I'm not quite sure how they went from this awkward meeting to conceiving a child together, but I'm sure they came across each other under different circumstances that might have sparked a love affair. Now do remember, Maria was a Templar, and Altair an Assassin. Their love was forbidden and dangerous. If anyone were to know, they were both to be killed. That's probably why I know so little about their love life.

"So according to Lucy there is another woman involved. A third woman. So Lucy, do you mind enlightening us on a story about this woman?" Shaun says with a large smile. Everyone looks at Lucy for an explanation. I think that we are all interested.

Lucy sighs. "I hate to say it, but I don't know as much as Shaun has given us, but I know the gist of her life." Lucy pauses for a moment to refresh her memory. "Her name was Azalea."

"Like the poisonous flower?" Rebecca asks. Lucy nods.

"Must you always put your voice into a conversation?" Shaun asks bitterly.

"Hey I'm just stating a fact."

"Lucy please continue." I say.

"Well, I came across her through Subject 7."

"Lyla Rockwell?" Shaun asks in an amazed tone.

"Yes." Lucy says.

"Wait who is Lyla Rockwell?" I ask wanting to be involved in the group.

"Lyla was Subject 7 in Abstergo. She had three ancestors that were involved with The Peace of Eden. She is also the only Subject to successfully survive Abstergo."

"What happened to her?"

"Brent Masters, a worker at Abstergo helped her escape, then, I took over his job."

"Anyway, back to Azalea." Shaun says eager to learn more.

"Well she was born in Jerusalem into a family that I have failed to trace back. Honestly, she is one of the hardest people I have had to trace back. Lyla obviously didn't stay long enough for us to extract enough memory. Anyway, as you saw Desmond, Azalea first bumps into Altair as she is about to get her hand cut off for stealing, which leads me to believe that she was born into a poor family, or her family died at a young age and left her no money. As for sibling, again, I can't trace back her family. Azalea is visibly skilled in the art of the assassin, as you saw in the memory where she scales the wall and when she kills the Templar guard. This leads to her past, which, I don't know about." Lucy seems frustrated at the fact that she doesn't know anything about Azalea's early life. "She is so skilled, that she ends up teaching Altair some skills. I don't know how, but Malik knows her from before. They both never classify to Altair how they met. She also cared a lot about horses, that's probably why you hallucinated them. As for her death, well, Lyla didn't stay at Abstergo long enough for us to get that information." Lucy sighs. "I wish I knew more about her. All I know is that she had a falling out with Altair and dedicated her life to finding Peaces of Eden, and destroying them. As I told you all before, she managed to locate fourteen. That's why Abstergo wanted her, and that's why Brent, and even I, had tried desperately to keep her away from Warren."

"Well you have the code to unlock the memory," I begin, "why don't you put me in the Animus, and I'll learn more about her?"

"I don't know…" Lucy hangs on the thought.

"I think it's a great idea." Shaun says. "And I'll record all the data so we can have her stored in our research."

"I think it's cool too." Rebecca adds. "I've given Animus 2.0 an upgrade so Desmond can stay in it longer without the side effects."

"We still need to focus on Ezio." Lucy protests.

"How about this," I begin, "We work with Ezio from 8:00am till 3:00pm. Then from 3:00pm till 10:00pm, we work with Azalea and Altair. Then from 10:00pm till 8:00am we sleep." I propose.

"Sounds good with me." Shaun says.

"Me too." Rebecca shouts as she makes adjustments to the Animus.

Lucy is hesitant, but after seeing the joy that this brings us all she agrees and we begin our work. "Ok Rebecca, type in this code, 0,1,1,2,3,5,8."

"Are those the first seven numbers of the Fibonacci Sequence?" Shaun asks.

"Yeah. I always lock memories in famous sequences or equations." Lucy looks at me. "The code to the memory I sent you on my email was an equation called the Drake equation. It calculates the potential number of civilization outside our galaxy."

"Umm… cool." I say not even remembering the first letter in that code. I get in the Animus and get ready for the Animus to send me back to Altair. I have to say, that after this whole ordeal with Ezio, I kind of miss Altair.

"Now Desmond," Lucy says as I look up at her, "we are going to be talking to you during the memory. You can talk back to us without any worries. It's like you're watching a movie, they won't hear you because you don't exist."

"I know Lucy, this isn't my first time inside the Animus." I say with a laugh, but the serious expression on Lucy's face does not change.

"It's just that I have never had two people's memories playing at the same time. I don't want anything to happen."

"Don't worry, nothing is going to happen. I'll be safe."

"Can we get on with the memory before I begin to gag?" Shaun yells from his corner.

"Are you ready Desmond?" Rebecca asks. I nod.

It takes a couple of seconds, but Lucy's face slowly fades from my sight, and I am in the world that the Animus has sent me in. I am in Jerusalem, and I am Altair once again.


	5. The Slave Trader

Sorry I haven't updated in forever. School is ruining my creativity.

Anyway, in this chapter, just like Desmond thinks during the memory, you can also hear Lucy, Rebecca, and Shaun. Like before, Desmond's thoughts are **Bold. **Lucy's are _Italicized. _Rebecca's are _Italicized and Underlined._ And Shaun's are **Bold and Underlined**. To remember this easier, the men are in bold and the woman are in Italics. The main characters (Lucy and Desmond) don't have underline. Sorry if it's complicated, but in later chapters they'll have interesting conversations.

Well, hope you all enjoy! I hope to update soon!

**

* * *

The Slave Trader**

**Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad**

The sound of a deep thud is heard as I leap down from the rooftop down to the Assassin's Bureau. I slyly walk up to Malik. I look at my once loyal and best friend. At the tender age of seven my parents left Masyaf, leaving me to stay and train to be an assassin. Since that day I trained day and night to become the best assassin in the world. Malik was my only cohort during the years. We and the other novices had similar training; however Malik and I were continuously the more advanced of the division.

Al Mualim and many others told me from the day I began my training, that I was "the one", because of this I was treated with more respect. All the other students were envious of this and loathed my presence, but not Malik. He was my only friend over the years training. Over the years that passed, Malik and I were both equal in rank, however after I was stripped of my rank I am now a novice, and Malik a Dai, this all occurring because of my actions in Solomon's temple under the streets of the city of Jerusalem. After the death of Malik's young brother Kadar, there has been tension between me and my once favored accomplice.

"Malik." I say as I step into the room where he draws his maps.

"Come to waste more of my time?" Malik says, his eyes not leaving the page.

"I found Talal. I will begin my mission."

"That is for me to decide." Malik's voice is full of bitterness.

"Very well, here is what I know," I inform Malik of all that I learned on the streets of Jerusalem. I am sure to inform him of everything that I heard or was told. Malik patiently listens with a blank expression. "Without his men, Talal will prove to be little challenge." I say ending everything that I have learned.

"Little challenge?" Malik asks with a laugh. "Listen to you, such arrogance."

"Are we finished?" I ask with bitterness. "Are you satisfied with what I've learned?"

"No, but it will have to do." Malik places the feather on the table. "Rest, prepare, cry in a corner, do whatever it is that you do before a mission. Make sure you do it quietly."

I walk out of the room to give Malik his space. It is obvious he still does not favor my presence. So I lay down on the ground where rugs and pillow lay to help accompany my dreams. As I slowly drift into the realm of dreams. The image of the woman haunts my mind again. I see her in many ways. I see her atop a horse as black as jet. I see her in a lavish gown of red velvet. I see her taking a leap of faith in Masyaf. But the most disturbing image of all, I see her lifeless bloody body lying at the feet of Al Mualim.

I awaken at the sight of seeing the woman dead. I look around and realize that it is time to strike down Talal. I lift myself to my feet and make my way out of the Bureau. I walk amongst the people of Jerusalem. I hear the conversations that fill the air around me, but I do not listen. My mind is somewhere else. It is not thinking about how I will kill Talal as it should be, but it wonders my dream. How can Al Mualim kill the woman? As far as I am concerned, she is an innocent. To kill an innocent is a direct violation of our tenant. She cannot be a Templar for she helped me, an Assassin, something a Templar would never dream to do. What can the woman possibly do to feel the wrath of Al Mualim?

I soon banish my thoughts of the woman as soon as I reach Talal's warehouse. There are guards protecting the entrance to Talal's small community of followers. I take glimpse of a ladder near the main entrance. I take hold of it and climb to the roof. Once on the roof, I kill one of Talal's guards, jump onto a beam, and then hurdle myself past the guards and into Talal's sanctuary. To my surprise, no man wields their blade to mine. No man's eyes meet mine. No man's words speak my name.

I reach an underground passage that may lead me to Talal. As I pass the doorway of the underground passage, a titanium door falls and traps me in The Slave Trader's playground.

I look up to see a man staring down at me with amusement. "What now slaver?" I ask in a stern tone.

"Do not call me that." He strikes back. "I only wish to help them, as I myself was helped."

"You do no kindness imprisoning them like this."

"Imprisoning them? I keep them safe. Preparing them for the journey that lies ahead."

"What journey? It is a life of servitude."

"Ha ha." Talal seems to find the truth amusing. "You know nothing. It was folly to even bring you here, to think you might see or understand."

"I understand well enough. Show yourself!" As I yell, a doorway is opened. I make my way to The Slave Trader and see the pain, sorrow, and despair of Talal's many victims.

"Ah so you want to see the man who called you here?" Talal asks once I reach his location.

"You did not call me here! I came on my own."

"Ha ha." Talal laughs again. "Did you? Who unbarred the door? Cleared the path? Did you once raise your blade against a single man of mine? No. All this I did for you." Talal is correct, but I came of my own free will. A small window is opened and exposes a light that touches the ground. "Step into the light then, I will grant you one final favor." I step into the light and six men jump down to my level. "Now I have done all this for you. What is it you desire?"

"Come out here" I pull out my blade to fight the man I came here for. "Let us settle this with honor."

"Why must it always come to violence? It seems I cannot help you, for you do not wish to help yourself. And I cannot allow my work to be threatened. You leave me no choice," Talal signals his men with a careless toss of his hand, "you must die." The six men begin to attack. The words of those on the streets were not false; Talal's men are loyal and willing to fight until the death of their lives. Without much trouble, I kill all of his men. I climb a ladder that takes me to Talal's level. "Keep him away from me!" Talal cowers and climbs a ladder leaving his underground lair. I take the life of one more man, climb ladder out and see Talal on rooftop not far from the one I stand on. As I begin to approach my prey, he yells for help. I begin to chase the slaver as he leads me into the streets of Jerusalem.

The chase turns many heads of the crowd, and attracts the unwanted attention of the guards. Now, not only do I have to chase a slaver, but I must flee from Jerusalem guards that care for neither side, yet favor the money of the slaver's side.

I chase the slaver to the middle district of Jerusalem. I look back at the guards that lay chase behind and I wonder if my eyes fool me. What sorcery is this? All the guards that stood chase now lay dead on the ground, slowly disappearing as the distance from us grows. The simple citizens that I befriended would never involve themselves in such a matter. This is not the work of them, but another.

I pull aside the mystery of the dead guards and focus on my target ahead. Talal's pace has lessened and he grows weary. As I ready myself to pounce on my prey, he is thrown to the ground by another, one who descended from the tops of the roofs. I look at Talal's attacker and think of only one soul…

**Azalea! Guys, she's back! Wait a second, She openly helped Altair with his Assassination?**

_Wow Lucy, how did you manage to cover that one up?_

As the woman lifts her body from the fallen Talal, four scholars hold him down as I thrust my hidden blade into Talal.

"You've nowhere to run now. Share your secrets with me." I say holding The Slave Trader in his last seconds in this life.

"My part is played." Talal refuses to speak. "The Brotherhood is not so weak that my death will stop its work."

"What Brotherhood?" I ask inquiringly.

"Al Mualim is not the only one with designs upon the Holy Land. And that's all you'll have from me!"

"Then we are finished. Beg forgiveness from your god."

"He's long abandoned us. Long abandoned the men and women I took into my arms."

"What do you mean?" I wonder what experience strayed this man from his God.

"Beggars, whores, addicts, lepers: do they strike you as proper slaves? Unfit for even the most menial tasks? No, I took them not to sell, but to save, and yet you'd kill us all...for no other reason than it was asked of you."

"No!" I say in disbelieve. "You profit from the war, from lives lost and broken." I explain as Al Mualim did to me.

"Yes, you would think that, ignorant as you are. Wall off your mind: they say it's what your kind do best. Do you see the irony in all this? No, not yet, it seems, but you will..." Talal's words trail as his body and spirit begin to leave this world. I watch as The Slave Trader gives into the hands of death, then I brush the feather against his neck to allow his blood to stain it, for evidence of his death. Then, as reality sets in, the guards begin their chase.

It takes no time or effort for me to lose the guards and in seconds I am in the presence of Malik, in the Assassin's Bureau.

"Altair, wonderful to see you return to us, and how fair the mission?" Malik says with delight.

"The deed is done. Talal is dead." I say taking out the feather and showing Malik the blood of Talal.

"Oh I know, I know," Malik is oddly calm from his usual irritated demeanor. "In fact, the entire city knows!" He begins to yell now. "Have you forgotten the meaning of subtlety?"

"A skilled assassin ensures his skill is noticed by the many." I counteract.

"No, a skilled assassin takes control of his environment!" Malik scolds.

"We can argue the details all you like Malik, but the fact remains: I've accomplished the task set to me by Al Mualim."

"Go then. Return to the old man. Let us see with whom he sides with."

"You and I are on the same side Malik." I say in a heartbroken tone. Once, not long ago, Malik and I were inseparable. And now, Malik cannot have me in the same room, let alone praise me for accomplishing the mission set by our mentor.

I turn away from Malik to sleep then ride to Masyaf. However, when I turn around to leave Malik's study, I see someone whom I never wanted to see in the Assassin's Bureau. The Woman_. _

**She followed him into the Bureau?**

_I couldn't show you that because I didn't want Warren to know that Azalea knew Altair._

"You." I utter in disbelief. "How did you find this place?" I ask with fury.

"This one is careless and foolish. Why is he in charge of the assassinations Malik?" The woman asks.

My heart drops, and every amount of sense and rationality is twisted inside my mind. "Malik," I say looking back at the Dai. "You know this woman?" And with a sly smile that curves his right face, Malik simply nods, and I lose all sense of the world around me.


	6. Azalea

**Yeah, I know it's been forever, and I'm SO sorry, but here it is. My first chapter in over a year! Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Azalea**

**Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad**

"What is the meaning of this? Explain yourselves!" I demand.

"Such a temper this one has." The woman jokes. "How can you bear such disobedience?" The woman glances my way and glares at me. She still wears her black cloak, so I cannot see her entire face.

"Disobedience is but only a third of what you endure with this one." Malik says with no jest in his voice.

"And the rest?" The woman asks with curiosity, a smile finding her lips.

"Ignorance and haste." Malik speaks with malice.

"Enough of this!" I roar.

"Malik, you allow a novice to speak to you like this?" The woman asks.

"I am no novice!" I yell in frustration. "I am equal in skill to Malik!" Both Malik and the woman seem amused by my comment. "You think I bluff? Malik, who taught you everything you know? Who was your counterpart during duels? Who was your only friend when we were novices?" I yell.

"And whose actions led to my brother's death?" Malik roars with anger.

The woman watches absentmindedly as Malik explodes into rage.

"Your skills mean nothing if you run around with haste and disregard for those around you." Malik scolds. "You have always been so disobedient, and you have never taken other's lives into account!" Malik begins to fill with rage. "It is an attitude as such that leads to a short lived life, but in your case, it leads to others unfortunate death."

"What would you have me do to end this quarrel, Malik?" I ask.

"Nothing you can do can bring Kadar back to me. Nothing I or anyone else can do to make you feel remorse for what you've done."

"Every wrong doer learns the right path, Malik." I say.

"Even the men you swore to kill?" the woman chimes in. I had practically forgotten her presence here. I know not what to say to the woman's comment. For if I were to say that some men can not stray from their wrong doing, then Malik will instigate that I am not better than the men I kill.

"No." Malik says with deep thought. "Every wrong doer is like a child." Malik glances at the woman. "And like every disobedient child they must be punished to lean to tread the path to righteousness."

"I doubt that a slap on the wrist will change my ways, Malik."

"And that is why, Altair, you will from now on be supervised by someone more superior than you."

"And who on earth can that be?" I think of the only people capable of being superior to me. When it comes to skills, Al Mualim is the one name that comes to mind, if rank is what Malik thinks, then anyone can do the job, for I am novice now, however, no one is capable of keeping up.

"Azalea," The name means nothing to me. Malik looks at the woman and she at him. "I want you to observe all of Altair's actions for the next seven days. Protect him from foes, and teach him all you know."

"Have you gone mad?" I roar. "She is a _woman_. What could she possibly know about the art of the kill?"

"Your ignorance precedes you, Altair. Do not judge one's skill until you have seen it in action before your very eyes."

"This woman is not capable of watching over me. She is below a novice in my eyes." I spit and glare to the woman as she and Malik take offence to my words.

"Have you any idea who this woman is, Altair."

"A common street rat that doesn't know her place?" I guess with callous eyes.

"Let him think what he wants." The woman named Azalea says before Malik can scold. "If he wants to think I am a novice street rat, let his ignorance stand. Maybe when he learns the truth he will realize the trouble it can cause."

"I still refuse to have her as an onlooker to my assassinations. Al Mualim would not stand for this, and I stand only on the words and wishes of Al Mualim."

"This woman is capable of teaching you things that that old man could no longer dream of performing, you will do as I say or I will bring word back to Masyaf of your treachery. You have already lost your rank to the brotherhood once before. There will not be another opportunity for more treason."

Malik speaks truth. If I do not do as he asks he will tell the brotherhood I betrayed him and our creed. It's my word against Malik's, he will win every time. "Very well," I say, "the woman can watch, however, she will not get involved, and she will not lecture me on what I already know. Is that understood?"

"Very well," Malik says. He looks at the woman.

"Fine, I will do it, on the condition that I am in control of your actions."

"Never," I lower my eyes at the woman.

"Altair," Malik threats.

I look into my brother's eyes and see the hurt that I have caused him in the past few weeks. I owe my life and more to this man for everything that I have taken from him. It is only fair that he tries to take my freedom. I only wish it did not have to involve the woman watching over me like a child. So I give in to Malik's threat, not because I need this woman to help me, but because I see it only fit for what I have done to Malik. Hopefully in showing him that I will try to do as he commands, maybe he will find forgiveness for me. However, in this arrangement, when I see my target, I will not wait for a woman to tell me when to strike.

"Now Altair, go and ride to Masyaf, tell the old man of your triumph in Jerusalem, however, speak not of the woman and what she will do for you. Tell Al Mualim your next journey is to Damascus and from there Azalea will join you to begin your training. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Malik." I say begrudgingly.

"Good. Azalea will stay here until word of your departure from Masyaf. Then she will join you in your next mission. Safety and Peace."

With that, I leave Malik and the woman and make my way to Masyaf. The ride to Masyaf is long but familiar. I know exactly when to blend, I know where every guard is stationed, and I know exactly how to take them out with one strike.

* * *

When I join my master in his study I am given my next task. My next life to claim. I can feel the pulse of my blade as it and I grow impatient to draw blood.

I am to choose between Abu'l Nuqoud of Damascus and William of Montferrat in Acre. I decide to go to Acre. The Rafics believe that I am to go to Damascus first, but if I want the woman away from my missions, I will do what the Creed doesn't expect.

I leave my master and make way for Acre. I mount the first horse I see and make my way towards Acre and not Damascus. The ride to Acre from Masyaf is a long one, approximately five days if treading quickly. For a large amount of my journey I ride my horse to a fast gallop; pushing the horse to its limit, and when it's done, I find another, and so on. However, once I reach the kingdom I am more wary of my actions and how the guards will respond with my every move. I am a known assassin, and with my recent assignment of killing these men in great power, the guards will be able to spot me with any move unacceptable in their eyes. I blend into the crowd. I make sure I have control of the horse and ride it as slow as I can. As far as the guards are concerned, I am a harmless nomad.

After I leave the Kingdom's boarders I continue the pace of my horse to a slow and steady one. The swaying of the horse's frame as it moves rocks my weary body into the realm of dreams. I let myself go, for the path is long and there is no danger I will face that will not awaken me first. Images begin to form in my head as the fall in deeper. I watch myself run in the streets of Jerusalem, climbing and falling atop buildings I have grown to know all too well.

I begin to climb a church that I have many times before. In our younger years Malik and I would race to the top of the structure. In recent years I had perfected the quickest route to the top. In the dream I take this route. I take hold of the cross when I hear a voice call my name. I begin to fall. I hear the voice again and recognize it as that of the woman's.

Before I reach the ground to my death I awaken to see that I am still on the road to Acre. I glance up to look at my path and see a figure on a horse not too far for me. The figure is cloaked mounted on a horse as black as jet. Without a thought I place my hand on my sword and wait for the stranger to make his move.

"You do not sleep lightly. This is not a good trait for a man in your profession." The voice of the stranger belongs to the woman and her amusement towards my actions beings hatred my way. Her presence angers me. I chose Acre over Damascus so I would not have to see her, yet here she stands, in front of me and in my path.

"Why are you here?" I ask lowly.

"This is not the road to Damascus. Have you forgotten the way?"

"I have not." I respond venomously.

"Then why are your travels towards Acre?"

"You do not need to watch over me as if I were some child. I can handle the tasks given to me on my own."

"You're impulsive in your actions, ignorant and disrespectful of those around you, just as a child." she pulls the horse closer towards me. "Malik has asked me to—"

"Malik," I scoff with spite, "is not my master. He has no power over me or my movement."

"_Your_ master has you set on a blind path, and you worry nothing about it. Have you not asked him why he chose the men he did. Why their crimes surpass those of countless others?"

"You know nothing of Al Mualim!" I yell at her.

She laughs, "There you are again, so eager to draw assumption. Know with whom you speak to and their enemies before you speak." She says with less patience in her voice.

"How do you know Al Mualim?"

"That is nothing you need to concern yourself with." She says coldly. She turns her horse away from me and begins to ride. "Come," she yells back to me, "We ride for Acre."

* * *

The ride to Acre is longer than usual because the woman continues to stop for her horse's rest and feed. Each stop I take a different horse, however, she insists on keeping the same one. Resting the horse takes time away from our journey which we will never finish if she doesn't replace the beast with another. The woman asks me to stay with the horses while she supplies herself with food for our journey. While I wait for her outside I stare into the beast she finds too fit to abandon. The horse is no larger than any other, nor stronger, nor different in any way.

"We will make rest here tonight." She announces as she walks away from the merchant.

"We have already lost much time waiting for your beast to rest and feed. I will not lose another day to your nonsense."

"The road is Acre is overlain with Templar guards. Your notoriety has risen due to your recent killings. We will stay here for a while until night falls and the road is safer to travel on."

"I have traveled that road many times. I can handle the guards that it holds."

"Did you not hear me? The merchant told me that the roads have twice the men you've seen due to _your_ recent exploits. You will stay here with me for the day or—"

"Or you will tell Malik of my disobedience? How I fear the exchange we will have." I say with a laugh.

"Fine, go and get yourself killed. But where, might I ask, will that lead you on your quest to restore your honor and rank with your brotherhood?"

"I will meet with you again in Acre." I say as I take the sacks of food she bought and mount them on my new, well rested horse. "When you and your beast finally arrive in Acre, you may join me. However, you may not arrive in time to teach me how to kill my target. What a shame it will be not to learn your mastery ways of killing." I say with sarcasm.

"Very well Altair let your haste lead you into a most sudden death." She says taking the reins of her horse and leading it in front of the building she will stay in.

I mount the horse I have chosen for this journey and make my way away from the woman. Once I am back on the road to Acre I find a great sense of freedom overcome me. No longer do I have to glance back and wonder if she has kept with my pace. No longer do I have to hear that her beast needs rest and feed. I can now ride at my own pace and ensure that I arrive in Acre in time to kill my target before he leaves the town.

It is not long in my journey until I find Templar guards in my path. I look from a distance to see but three guards. This is no challenge. I take a throwing knife and send it to one of the guards' throat. He falls from his horse and attracts the other's attention to me. When I am in their sights they gallop towards me. A smile comes to my lips knowing how simple this will be. The guards begin to slow their pace and soon stop their pursuit towards me. I hear one shout out something to me about my turn to die. Suddenly an arrow impales my shoulder and the horse rears me off and I fall to the floor. I watch as the horse runs off, leaving me stranded with what has now become over a dozen Templar guards. I take the arrow out of my shoulder and prepare for a fight. I unsheathe my sword and look around at the guards that have now formed a circle around me; surrounding me with their swords. I begin to doubt myself as I look around at these armed guards. I can take on six, seven, even eight on my own, but twelve with more coming can prove a challenge, even more so with my wounded shoulder. However, I will not give up the fight. These men came here to fight and I will make sure they get what they want.

I charge at my first victim, and with a simple thrust of my blade into his neck, he is dead. The others come for me soon after and I am swarmed with adversaries. I can feel the cuts and scrapes of their blades tearing my skin. The pain is far from dull but with all my strength I fight them off. Soon, I begin to feel weak and the loss of blood takes my body down. There are still five guards left, and more coming from the horizon. The weakness overtakes me and I fall to my knees. The Templars laugh in triumph as they slowly march their way towards me to deliver the final blow. I take in a breath and ready myself for death's embrace and the life that follows me after this one…

**Holy shit, guys, Altair's dying. **

_Oh man, I can't watch!_

**He obviously doesn't die you idiot. He hasn't had a child yet.**

Suddenly, I hear a horse rear. I look up to see a horse trample over some of the men advancing towards me. The rider of the horse stays on, slashing at the men with a sword as the horse runs by. The horse tramples the men, killing them, helping the rider defeat his adversaries, instead of fearing and fleeing the fight as I know horses to do. Within seconds the rider and horse have killed what took me twice as long. The rider dismounts the horse and slaps its back, telling it to run towards the horizon where the Templars march towards us. I watch as the horse gallops to the men and tramples them before they come to us. As the rider comes towards me, removing the space between us, I recognize the rider as the woman.

She makes her way towards me as her horse kills more of our adversaries in the horizon. "Are you hurt?" She asks as she lowers to her knees to be at my height. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought there was concern in her voice.

"I'm fine." I look over at the horizon. "We should leave, before they reach us."

"They're taken care of." She touches my shoulder and I shove her hand away in pain. "You are hurt. Where is your horse, we need to get you to safety."

"The damned beast ran off. I can walk. It's a simple flesh wound."

"One that can fester and end your life unattended." She threats. She brings two fingers to her mouth and lets out a load whistle, calling the horse to us.

When the horse reaches us, she aids me in mounting it. She then hits the back of the horse, making it gallop away. I look back at her as the space between us grows. "What of you?" I yell as I gallop away.

"I'll meet with you again in Acre!" She yells back as I once said to her. I watch as the men advance towards her. There are far too many men for her to take on by herself. I fear that she will not survive this battle; however, as much as I try to get the beast to turn around and help the woman, the beast does not listen to my commands and treks too quickly for me to jump without being injured greatly. So I stay on and wait until I reach Acre and know that she is safe once again.


	7. Remorse

**Remorse**

**Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad**

The words fall heavy in my throat as I try to put them to paper. He will never forgive me for letting this happen. He will surely have my life for this. I regret agreeing to such a folly plan, and I regret leaving her back there to die for my fight…

"Malik," the quill scratches onto the paper. "I regret to inform you that the woman…" I scratch out 'the woman' in hatred. How dare I call her that after her sacrifice? "…that Azalea has perished on our journey because of my rash and impulsive decisions. It falls heavy on my heart to write you this, and would not put such speculations to paper, but five days have passed since our parting and she has yet to return to me. My deepest condolences, for you knew her better than I. For your satisfaction, and her memory, I will continue my journey in her honor and the Creed's expectations. Safety and peace. Altair." As I sign my name the realization that she is dead and Malik learning from a letter fall hard on me. This is not how it should have ended.

I walk the streets of Acre… alone. When I arrived her horse fell to the ground in exhaustion from a three day ride with no rest, feed, or water. I paid coin on shelter and food for the horse, which I would never do for any other creature. As the days passed and Azalea arrival never came, I began to come to the realization that she would never come. Since then, I made point to keep her horse in her memory. The beast galloped longer and harder than any horse I've known simply because his master commanded it of him. That obedience deserves the best accommodations.

I make my way to the Assassin's Bureau. I drop down the roof angrily, almost hurting myself on the fall, but not caring because she gave a greater sacrifice.

"Altair," the Rafiq says with surprise. "I just told you of your target. Surely you haven't found the perfect time to strike?"

"Not yet," I respond, "I am here to send a message."

"Of course," he says motioning to the birds and their cages.

I roll the letter to Malik as small and tightly as I can. Tying the word of Azalea's demise to the bird's foot proves harder than I had imagined. My hands shake with the realization that this is the dying of my final hope that she is still out there somewhere. I take the bird and release it into the sky; watching woefully as it carries my words.

I take to the streets for my investigation. I listen to the simple talks and quarrels and business of the people of Acre. I listen closely for conversation that holds the name William of Montferrat. The streets are buzzing with news of William and his plans to overtake King Richard and his land for his son Conrad and that William does not always have the best relationship with King Richard. Soon, I gather enough information to end my investigation and the life of William of Montferrat. I return to the Rafiq and tell him of my progress. He listens carefully to all I have to say. With a few dramatic nods of the head, he gives me leave to go, placing the white feather onto the table.

I take the feather and make my way towards my target. As I near the fortress where William stays a commotion fills the streets and people gather as King Richard rides into the streets of Acre. He speaks with William; yelling and scolding him for deceiving his people and him. William seems obviously distressed with Richard's accusations, especially because they are being brought up in front of all of Acre to see. Eventually, King Richard rides of, leaving a furious William to vent in his quarters; where I will strike.

I blend in with the crowd, making my way into William's fortress. I find a group of scholars that owe me a favor, and blend with them to pass the guards at the entrance. When I'm inside, I break away from the scholars and make my way to the rooftops where I will strike William. I am wary of archers that guard the roofs because many citizens said that William has an excess of archers. However, when I reach the top of the roof, I see in my line of sight that three archers have been killed. I go and examine the bodies to see that they have all been stabbed…

I out-rule a third party killing these men because they were killed at a close range with no struggle, so I assume that the killer is William in a fit of rage. I smile at the thought that he helped make his demise come more swiftly.

I make my way to the room where William yells insignificant orders at his men, just to get them out of his way. He is fuming and becoming more and more unaware of his surroundings. I watch from above as he sends every man that can stand a threat to me away. All his guards gone. When he sits down at his table to look at his letters, I strike. I fly down onto him as an eagle to its prey. I thrust my hidden blade out and pierce his throat. Blood gushes out of his neck as he tries to struggle, but I hold him down and have him linger a bit longer to explain his actions and finally speak truth of what he and his like want.

He asks me what I believe his plans to be and when I mention Conrad he laughs, telling me that his son is not fit to be a leader. He did not want to take the lands for himself or for his son, but give the lands to their people. His motive makes no sense. If he were to give the lands back to their people then why instill fear and death upon them? Unfortunately, before I can ask more of him, he is taken by his god.

I brush the feather to his neck and lift myself off of the Templar. I leave William's body and make my way out of his fortress. Upon my leave I see what looks like a fight had broken out between William's men. Less than a dozen men lay dead in the courtyard. I look at the positioning of the bodies and the wounds they received and come to the conclusion that these men turned on each other; but why? Could some men have been against William and his ideals while others supported him, which ruptured into a fight? Regardless of what happened here, I have an easy pass through the front gates.

Leaving William without being spotted was an easy task with the help of his inner circle turning on itself. I make my way back to the bureau undetected by any guards, and when I reach the rooftop, ready to jump down I hear word that an assassin killed Acre's regent, William of Montferrat. The Rafiq congratulates me upon my arrival for William's demise. He gives me leave to make my way to Masyaf and bring word to Al Mualim of his demise. I bow my head the Rafiq and leave the bureau.

I blend with a group of scholars as I leave the city's walls. I make my way to the stables and take the black beauty by his reins. The horse is well rested and fed and in much better condition than he was upon our arrival here. I look into his dark eyes and see myself in them. I did not think these creatures more than just my transportation, but he has proven to be more than that. I mount the steed and make my way towards the all too familiar road to Masyaf. The horse is quick as I command him to a fast gallop. He has been resting for three days and is now ready to trek the seven day trip to Masyaf.

More than half a day's trip passes by and the horse grows tired. Instead of dismounting the horse at the nearest stables to find a replacement, I dismount the horse, hold onto its reins, and walk next to him, so that his stride slows and the weight of carrying me is gone. The horse seems to understand what I'm doing and rubs his head against my shoulder as if to thank me for understanding his needs. I smile at the beast, not realizing until now just how majestic these animals can be.

We make camp not too long after. I start a fire while the horse lies down. I cook the rice Azalea brought from the merchants on our way to Acre. I think of what my mission would have been like, had she been there. I think of how nasty I would have acted towards her with resentment had she not been taken from me. I am disappointed in myself for being so impatient that I had to continue the journey without her. How arrogant I was starting a fight with the Templars before scanning the area for more. I reflect back on all my childish actions that led to the death of an innocent. Again, I have broken a tenant of my creed.

* * *

The sun rises for a new day. I awaken to see my head resting on the body of the horse. I rise up and the horse is quick to follow, ready for today's journey. We are quick to return on the road and ride on towards Masyaf. There are not many Templars on this road, not until the area where they ambushed me. So we are free to continue forward in a fast gallop until the road becomes more dangerous. We pass many people walking the streets. All yell at me to slow down and watch where I'm going. I smile at my recklessness. It is entertaining to see how close I can get to them before hitting them.

Hours pass and the sun begins to fall again. We make camp farther away from the main road than before because this road is more dangerous with thugs and thieves, waiting to steal the coin of innocent travelers. It isn't long until I am asleep, again resting my head on the back of the horse.

Again we awaken, and again we are on the road, galloping as fast as we can. The horse seems content with how I ride him and how often we stop. I try to be a master to him as Azalea was, making sure he is comfortable and well looked after. Soon, I slow our stride because we come into Templar territory; the territory where the fight erupted. I look around, seeing the mountains and structures, looking for where the fight began. I begin to smell what I have grown up to know as the stench of burning flesh. I look down at our path I see the stain of blood on the road. A large stain, spread across the road and the meadows. I look around and see a fire pit, burning the dead bodies that made the blood stain. There are two farmers watching the bodies burn. I dismount the horse and walk him towards the two men.

"I'm sorry, friend, but you should continue on your path." The older of the two says trying to keep my away from the burning bodies.

"Did you bring these men to their burials?" I ask.

"Yes, we found this bloody massacre on our way to the market. We thought it best to dispose of the bodies before young travelers witnessed its horror."

"Did you find the body of a woman in here?" I ask, hoping to get conformation of her death. The two men hesitate to speak and I grow impatient. "Was there a woman here?" I demand.

"I'm sorry, sir, but the bodies were so distorted that it was hard to tell." The younger farmer who had yet to speak said.

"If you're looking for your wife, sir, she is probably gone from this world; my condolences." The older man says, bowing his head to me.

Angrily, I turn from the two men and mount the horse. I gallop away from the stench of death. The thought of Azalea's body engulfed in the flames as just another nameless body without a proper burial infuriates me. She deserved better than a death and burial like this. The thought burns hatred in my throat, not at the men who killed her, or the men that namelessly burn her, but at me for condemning her to such an end.

I look up and see a sign that points the direction to the cities that I want to go. The stone that holds the word "Damascus" points to the west. "Acre" points south, "Masyaf" points north, and "Jerusalem" points east. I look at the stone that reads "Jerusalem". The curves of the letters haunt me, drawing me in. I decide that my next action is not to inform Al Mualim of William's death, but to ride to Jerusalem and speak with Malik. He deserves to hear what happened to Azalea from me and not a letter. So I turn east and make my way towards what I imagine, will not be a welcoming reunion.

* * *

Please Review after reading. I'd like to hear what you all think. Even if you hate it! :)


	8. The Dancer and The Assassin

**Hope you all enjoy this nice long chapter!  
**

* * *

**The Dancer and The Assassin**

**Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad**

Four days pass until I finally look upon the walls of Jerusalem, clean and better built than those of Acre. I blend with some scholars and enter the city's gates undetected. I separate from the scholars and quickly make my way through the crowds and alleys, wasting no time to reach the bureau. Upon reaching the ladder that leads to the bureau entrance, I begin to feel sick. The thought of what Malik will say to me worries me. I can hear his voice in my head now, yelling at me for my recklessness. But I swallow my pride and make my way up the ladder, to the roof, and jump down the hole to the bureau.

"Safety and peace, Malik." I say much more unsure than pervious times I have greeted him this way.

"Safety and peace, Altair?" Malik questions, grasping a letter in a tight hold: my letter. "Safety and peace?" he questions again with anger in his voice. "How can you wish safety and peace on me, Altair when all you bring to me is death and chaos?" he yells now furious.

"Malik, I—"

"Save your breath, Altair! Your excuses will not fall on naïve ears this time." Malik pulls out the letter and reads from it. "My deepest condolences, for you knew her better than I." He puts the letter down and looks at me. "What were you thinking, Altair?" He yells. "Your foolish actions have led to another death! Another soul in my life you have stripped from me. Have you no shame in the innocent lives you take?" I try to argue but he will not let another word come from my mouth. "For your satisfaction, and her memory, I will continue my journey in her honor and the Creed's expectations." He reads again. "Not only do you take her from this world but you spit on her memory as well. Did you not hear her and what she believes to be true? No, of course you haven't, else you'd know she cares little of the creed and what your master asked of you!"

"It falls heavy on my heart to write you this, and would not put such speculations to paper, but five days have passed since our parting and she has yet to return to me." I hear a voice say from behind the curtain in the back. A hand pulls the curtain back, revealing who the voice came from, and before I can react she says, "Really Altair, don't exaggerate and spread rumors of my demise until you've seen the body, cold and dead." She says will a smile on her face.

I am utterly stunned. I can't move or speak because I look upon the eyes of a ghost. "H…how are you a…alive?" I finally manage."

"Skill, Altair." Azalea says, "Something you claim to have and yet have not proven so."

"There were far too many men for you to kill, unscathed." I say now noticing that she is without a scratch, with no scar or limp or physical deformity to show what she endured. No matter how great the skill there was no way she was able to leave that fight unscathed. I watch as she and Malik exchange glances, she just barely shaking her head, telling him to keep whatever she did a secret from me. "No man can survive a fight such as that without harm." I say not lingering on the exchange of glances.

"Well I'm no man, Altair." She says with a smile. "Killing the archers for you in William's fortress also proved to be little challenge, but very necessary because you failed to think about just how much of a threat they could have posed. Even more so of a threat were his men outside his quarters. Less than a dozen guards waiting outside to kill you once you walk out of William's quarters with his blood on your hands. Had I not been there you could have easily died."

"Those men… they turned on their own." I say remembering how they were positioned.

"Yes, I moved them to look as if they did so you didn't suspect anything. Quite honestly I thought you were going to go to Masyaf and then Damascus. I had an entire plan on how I would 'rise from the dead' and scare you into thinking I was a ghost haunting you. Sadly, you surprised us by coming here before Masyaf, so I had no time to prepare anything extravagant."

"Why are you not in Masyaf, Altair?" Malik asks, "You were successful in killing William of Montferrat. Why have you not crawled back to the master to lick his boot, as you so love to do?"

I look at Malik, and then the woman. My reasoning for coming here before Masyaf was to tell Malik of her demise in the flesh, rather than through paper. I wanted to grieve with my brother over the death of someone he held dear, and I had yet to know. However, now I feel my reasoning to be folly and now futile knowing that she is alive and well. So I lie about my intensions on losing three days on this journey. "I returned to show you, Malik, that I killed Montferrat on my own, without her help. It seems to me that she is of no need to me, so I wish to continue my assignments without her." I say prideful.

The woman cocks her head to the side in either amusement or confusion. "Altair," she says with a scoff, "Were the archers not dead upon your arrival? And what, might I ask, would you have done once you killed Montferrat and walked out of his study to see dozens of armed guards pointing their swords at you?"

"I would have fought them all as you did." I say quickly so she cannot continue her questions.

"You would have fought them all." She returns in amusement. "And when the guards had time to find Montferrat's body and sound the bells of his death, then how would you have planned on escaping that fortress with both guards on the inside and out looking for you?" She says with her hands on her hips.

"I am not your child to be scolded!" I yell finally finished with her tone towards me. "You may continue this journey with me if you can keep up with me. You will go by my pace. Stop when I say we can stop, and you will teach me whatever skills I deem worthy enough of knowing without getting yourself killed. Is that understood?"

I can barely see the look in her eyes because her hood covers most of her face, but from what I can see, she is fuming at my tone; trying desperately to compose herself. She begins to move, slowly, shaking her hips as she walks as if she is taunting me with her stride. Malik and I watch her carefully as she makes her way towards me. She takes longer than usual because she comes to me so slow; building up her next move. And soon, she is within inches of me. I tower over her this close. I had not noticed how small she really is.

With a quick movement that I couldn't even see coming, she takes my arm and pulls it behind my back to the point of breaking. I fall to my knees and she bends down pressing her lips to my ear. "Don't you dare speak to me like a petty whore you can command around." She whispers.

I try to break free from her hold, a simple swing of my leg to knock her down and I will be free; a simple trick we assassins learned in basic training. But when I try this move, she holds her ground, as if knowing that I was going to do that, and she twists my arm in the opposite direction, trying to dislodge my shoulder. I let out a grunt of pain.

Enough, Azalea!" Malik yells in command. She and I both look at the men, more than surprised that he would stand up for me. I would have thought him to enjoy such torture on me.

"Malik, he deserves—"

"Yes, he does deserve this," Malik says stopping the woman from justifying her actions. "But if you continue this, he will return to Al Mualim in this state which will raise questions; questions that will lead to your existence."

The woman mulls over Malik's words, going through every scenario this situation can produce. "Do you not think it just that he loses the use of an arm as you did because of his actions?" She finally says with anger in her voice. When I hear her intensions, I try to free myself from her hold but fail in her grip.

"What happened to me in that temple was Altair's fault," Malik agrees and I drop my head down, not being able to stand this anymore. "However, vain and reckless as he may be, he is my brother by oath, and had he been able to return to Kadar and me for assistance, he would." I look at Malik. I look up at my partner, my friend, my brother. His able to forgive my actions that lead to the death of his brother by blood and the loss of his arm is something I have yet to understand from him. It is that humility that makes him stronger than I.

I cannot look back at the woman from the angle she has me, so I know not if Malik's words have done anything to her. But when her lips touch my ear again, I jump and wait to hear what she has to say. "You listen to me. You do as I say, how I say it, and when I say it. We go at my pace. You will not complain or leave ahead of me. If I command you to stay your blade, you will do so, and if you believe a skill I teach to be a waste of you precious time, you will keep that thought to yourself and do the skill to my satisfaction. Now, is that understood?" She says spitefully.

"Yes." I let out.

"Yes, Master." She corrects.

"Are you—" She pulls my arm back before I can retaliate.

"Say it Altair." Malik warns.

"She is not my master." And as those words leave my lips the woman does what I had hoped she wouldn't and what Malik advised her from. And with a quick thrust of her hand, she twists my arm in an unnatural way, making the dreaded crack of a broken shoulder blade. I yell in pain, not restraining myself through fear of looking weak.

Malik looks at the woman with a concerning gaze. She responds "he is no better than the coward who he calls master." She says with spite of who I believe is Al Mualim. And with that she leaves the Bureau.

"Altair," Malik says with a sigh, "You will ride to Masyaf and tell Al Mualim that this wound was derived from fleeing William's fortress. You will then seek medical attention there and then ride to Damascus. If Azalea does not join you on the trail to Demas then she will find you in the city." Malik comes to me, tells me to bite onto a cloth as he brings my shoulder blade back to its rightful place. My yell when he pops the shoulder blade is muffled by the cloth. "I think it best that you do not trifle with her. Contrary to what you may believe, she is a skilled assassin and will not hesitate to kill those who oppose her. So it's best that you don't oppose her."

I spit the cloth out, "How am I to kill my target with my arm like this?" I ask barely able to move it.

"I'm sure you'll find a way." Malik says with a sigh as he did not want these events to pan out this way either. "I suggest you leave," he says with mild spite in his tone. "You have a long ride ahead of you."

* * *

Three days into my ride to Masyaf pass quietly and uninterrupted by the unwelcoming presence of the woman. Upon leaving the Bureau after injuring me, she took back her horse, leaving me to find another. I am far too angry and weary to continue her teachings, so I pick a new horse at every stop I take. I figure if I stay away from the Templar guards that wait on the trail ahead then having a horse that does not care about my wellbeing won't hurt.

At every turn I take, I expect the woman to surprise me with her irritable tone about everything I do wrong. But as I come and go from every major entry point on the road to Masyaf, the woman never shows herself in anyway. I make sure to be alert and watch for any place she might hide from above, observing my every move. But every highpoint that she can watch over is vacant of her presence.

Once I reach the gates of Masyaf, I realize that the woman is not going to make an appearance, so I leave my mind of her presence and focus on the task at hand. I reach Al Mualim's study and speak with my mentor of these men that I am to kill. Their motives become more puzzling as each man justifies their actions before death. Some men I slay compare their deeds to those of the Creed. Upon sharing this with the mentor, he scoffs, stating that these men are like snakes, spilling venom even at death. I wish to press my mentor more. The more riddles he feeds me, the more frustrated I become, but for now, I keep to myself. The old Altair would press the master too far for information, but I am not to test my luck with him any longer than it has already been pressed.

The master asks what happened to my arm and I tell him what Malik had me say with spite in my tone. I could end all my frustration with the woman and Malik by just telling the master about her. For some reason, she and Malik don't want him knowing about her. But what would happen if he did? How does the master know about the woman and what will he do if he know she is alive and in Malik's ear? I decide to learn more about the woman and her role with Al Mualim before I let the secrets unravel.

I leave the master's study with the task of killing Abu'l Nuqoud of Damascus. I ride forth to Demas as quickly as my horse will take me. I stop at every point I need to obtain a new horse. The ride to Damascus takes me three days, rather than seven as it had with the woman.

As I arrive at the city's gates I hear the shouts of merchants calling me in. I look around for the scholar that owed me a favor for saving his life, hoping that he will lead safe passage into the walls of Damascus. After my recent killings the city guards have been more aware of the "assassin with the white hood". However, the scholar is nowhere to be seen, and my passage passed the guards becomes more difficult. I take the horse around to the stables where it can eat freely. As the horse eats, I look around for some safe way in. There are no crowds coming in and out, so blending is not an option.

I look back at the horse and see someone that I didn't expect to join me: the woman's black horse. I walk over to the beast and caress its head. The horse seems to remember me because it pushes its head against my chest. I look around for the woman. Surely she is near.

"Jabbar seems to have taken a liking to you." I turn to face the woman who appeared from nowhere. She is lighter on her feet than I had thought.

**Jabbar is an Arabic based name meaning "powerful". Just to let you all know.**

"You named your beast?" I ask with disgust. This is a horse, not a child.

"Yes, the same beast that rode nonstop for three days to save you." she says angrily.

"Why are you not inside the city?" I ask adverting from her counter attack.

"I was waiting for you. What are you waiting for?"

"There are a group of scholars I like to blend with so the guards do not know of my presence here in the city."

The woman frowns, "where's the fun in that?" She turns from me and makes her way to the entrance. She swings her hips as she walks to the guards. I presume she is trying to distract them with her… "charms". Surprisingly the guards succumb to the temptation she holds and they are distracted. I take this time to slip my way in. I am about half way through the gates when one of the guards notices me.

"Is he with you?" He asks the woman.

She looks at me and lets a smile cross her face. A smile that tells me she has other plans. "No," she lets out with a fearful tone. I glare at her, hating her for what she is doing to me. "He's an assassin!" She yells and my heart races. I expected her to get me in trouble with the guards, but to bring attention to my true identity and the Creed can compromise my mission.

The men are quick to react and charge at me with their swords. I run into the swarm of people in the city of Damascus. At first I shove them out of my way; bashing them so I can gain speed. But once I become out of sight, I blend into a crowd. Soon after I separate myself from the crowd I sit down on a bench and watch the guards run past me, wondering where I've disappeared to.

Once I determine that I'm out of sight of the guards' pursuit I make way to the Bureau. Once I drop in I say to the Bureau leader, "safety and peace Rafiq."

"Upon you as well, Altair." He returns, "I heard of your entrance upon the city's gates. Subtly has never been your strongest asset."

"I did not intend on entering in such a fashion. Certain circumstances led to such an obvious entrance." I say between clenched teeth, thinking of Azalea's amusement at how everything panned out.

"Well no doubt your target will be aware of his timely death. Whose life has Al Mualim ordered you take now?"

"His name is Abu'l Nuqoud. What can you tell me of him?" I tell him.

"Ah, the merchant king of Damascus; richest man in the city. Quite exciting!" The young Rafiq returns with bewilderment. And he continues, at my command to speak information of this man and where I might find vital information for my search after bringing up my demise with the brotherhood. Once aware of where my search will begin, I thank and leave the Rafiq so I can quickly rid the world of this man and become one step closer to understanding the truth of these men and their purpose in this world.

Once I am away from the Bureau, the woman shows her face. "So where do we begin our search?" She asks as she leans against a wall. I pass her and she pushes herself from the wall to follow.

I resent her for using words such as "we" and "our". This is my search and my mission. Had she not injured me in Jerusalem, I would have kept it that way. But rather than arguing with her I wordlessly lead her to the rich district where we will begin the search.

My methods seem not to please the woman, for when I climb the largest tower in the rich district to find where to begin my search she scoffs at my tactics.

"Why are you wasting your time climbing towers when you could be walking amongst the city's people for information?"

"Climbing these towers helps me find my investigations. Looking upon the city at this height shows me everyone's actions." I say as I climb higher away from her as she stares up at me.

Soon, I am out of ear shot from her and I stop looking back wondering where she is. Once I reach the top of the tower I look down at the city like an eagle. I watch every move every man and woman makes while they go about their business, unaware they are being watched. I find two men whispering in the shadows to each other and determine that their secret might prove helpful towards my investigation.

I perform a leap of faith and make my way to the two men. Once they are in view I sit on a nearby bench so not to raise suspicion, and listen in on their conversation. They speak of the man I am to slay and of a large shipment that has arrived in the city. They begin to speak of Nuqoud's religion and its scripters and I listen less. I think of the shipment they speak of. I look around and spot the woman in a crowd, listening in on the same two men I am. Once the men part from each other I join her in the crowd.

"Their conversation was of no importance. Let's move on." I say as I walk through the streets with her.

"Of no importance?" she repeats. "Altair, did you even hear what they spoke of?"

"Just a shipment that came and his religion. Nothing that can help me defeat the man."

The woman scoffs. "This is why you walk the streets instead of wasting your time climbing towers. The shipment that has arrived is a vast shipment of wine. Meaning that Abu'l is planning another extravagant party." I shrug seeing no importance in the matter. She sighs and continues, "Damascus is already in debt and many people starve while he throws parties, this makes him a despised man in this city. If you were listening to what scripture the man quoted you would have known that the drinking of wine is against Nuqoud's religion. If he is capable of going against his God's will, imagine what else he is capable of."

I take time to absorb everything she heard and how it could help my mission. "With the people hating him, the party would be the best place to strike. No one would defend the man like Talal's men did."

"Exactly," Azalea smiles.

"Very well, let's continue our investigation." I stop myself as she walks away from me, catching myself that I said 'our investigation' rather than 'my investigation. I try not to think much of it because she most likely did not catch on to what I said.

As she walks away from me I watch her move. She swings her hips as she did when she broke my shoulder; as a lioness stalking her prey. She seems to always be on the hunt. Her shoulders perpetually tense as if she waits for someone to attack. I wonder about her. Where she is from, who her mother and father were, what led her to the life she lives; and above everything, how she knows the ways of my Creed. She looks back at me and I look at her lips because they are the only part of her face not covered by her hood. They curve up ever so slightly revealing that she is content with herself right now. Looking at her, I want to know her. No matter how infuriating she is, I want to know everything about her.

"Azalea," I let out and she looks back at me, not stopping in her stride. She has a slight smile on her lips with curiosity of what I have to ask. "How do you know of the Assassin's Creed?" I ask and she stops her stride and her smile wipes from her lips.

He body tenses and she grows cold. "That is nothing that should concern you." she says coldly and turns from me.

"You wanted to do this together, Azalea. If I am to work with you, then you need to not hide things from me."

She turns to me and looks sad, as if she wanted to tell me, but couldn't. "In time, Altair. I promise you." she says turning from me. Before I can press her for more, she stops me and commands me to listen. I listen quietly when I hear a man preaching.

"Abu'l Nuqoud is a gracious man!" The voice yells out to the crowd. Azalea and I make our way towards him. He continues on to preach the wonders of Nuqoud and all his good deeds towards the city and its people. Azalea and I listen carefully to the man's word and how contrived they sound. I look at Azalea and tell her without words that this man can prove to be beneficial if we use force on him. She nods understanding and accepting what I plan.

Once the man has finished his speech on Nuqoud, Azalea and I follow him in hopes he leads us to somewhere private where we can extract information from him without the guards' influence. He leads us into a restricted area, where guards defend the entrance from civilians. I am quick to adapt and see beams over the guards that will easily support my weight. Azalea is ahead of me as I watch her kill an archer that waits parallel from the beams. She nods my way and I make my way up the building as she crosses the beams. We follow the man into an empty back passage where we strike. I jump down and grab the man's shoulder. When he is facing me I punch him in the face. The man is quick to defend himself and fights back. He manages to hit me a few times, however, I am faster and stronger than he, and soon he gives up, throwing his hands in front of his face.

"Please, stop" he begs, "I will not die for that man." He says, revealing that Nuqoud is not the wonderful man that he so openly preaches of.

I press the man for more information about Abu'l and he tells me the truth of the Merchant King. He tells me of the hatred the man has upon himself; the shame and despair he has in seeing himself. He also tells me that Nuqoud never leaves his chambers, making killing him more difficult. But as I press more from the man, he tells me during the celebrations, Nuqoud looks down upon the crowd and speaks with his guests. The man quickly follows this information with a warning that when Nuqoud speaks with his quests, it is only for a while, and proves to be a small window of opportunity. When the man is done speaking with me, he asks me to let him go and a laugh with amusement. I know these snakes all too well. If I let him go he will be quick to tell Nuqoud of my plans, so the man has to die. I flick my wrist, releasing my blade, and thrust it in his stomach. I watch as the man falls, making sure he is dead before I leave his body for someone else to find once I am long gone.

As I walk from the body I speak with Azalea. "Nuqoud must know he is despised by the public, else he wouldn't send snakes to spit venomous lies into the ears of the public. But to what end?"

"Why would Nuqoud want the people to think highly of him?" She asks me as if she already knows the answer.

"If the city saw him as a saint, maybe he could see himself in a better light?" I guess and the look on Azalea's face shows me that I'm wrong.

"His parties," She leads me, "The shipment of wine was larger than any he's ordered before. He wants the public to come into his home and drink with him."

"But why?" I ask, wanting her to tell me the secrets and intentions the man holds.

She shrugs her shoulders. "That I honestly don't know."

"I guess time will tell." I say looking into the horizon, seeing the Merchant King's extravagant home.

"Come, we have more to investigate before we can safely attend his party." She says and we move on back to the main streets of Damas.

Azalea and I move closer to the Merchant King's palace where we suspect more information about the man will present itself. I look around and see a brother of the Bureau hiding in a doorway. I signal Azalea to stand back while I speak with my brother and see if he holds any information about the man I am to slay.

"Altair, my brother, how are you?" he asks with a welcoming tone; something I have not received from my brethren since my rank was stripped of me. "Any news of Adha since she left?" he asks and I stay quiet. I cannot bring myself to think of the woman whom I once held so close to my heart. "No?" he says seeing my sudden change, "How sad. I'm sure you'll find her someday" He says hopefully and soon goes on about his business telling me of Templar guards that saw his face and are now after him. For fear of exile or death from the Creed, he asks me to slay the men for him in return for information on my target. I except the challenge and leave my friend.

I look at Azalea who stands at a nearby merchant's table. Without direct interaction, I tell her to wait where she stands for worry that my brother might watch my investigation and see her helping me and bring word back to Al Mualim. She nods understanding and I leave her to continue my mission alone.

There are only three men that I have to slay and I make sure that they are as subtle as I can perform. I can't have the city's guard getting involved in this investigation. I find one standing next to a back passage way and I am soon to strike, flicking my wrist, bringing my blade out and through his neck, and walk away before he falls to the ground. The next I find on a rooftop looking down on the people. He is the easiest to kill, far from other guards and witness to see. I send a throwing knife his way from another rooftop, and I am back on the road looking for my next target before he falls to the ground dead. The next walks the back streets of small Damas homes. I thrust the blade in his throat before he can turn to see who follows him.

I return to my brother and tell him the deed is done. With excitement, he tells me his gratification of my help and informs me that a statue in the middle of Nuqoud's home is easily climbable and I should consider using it during my kill. I thank him for the information and we part ways. I meet back with Azalea in the same place and we make our way back to the Assassin's Bureau.

"So," she begins as we walk the busy streets of Damas. "Who is Adha?" she asks.

I look at her with mild anger. I did not think she heard the conversation between my brother and I and I resent him for bringing her up. "That is none of your concern." I say coldly.

"If you want to work with me then you cannot hide things from me." She says with a smile, quoting what I once said to her. "If I tell you something about me, will you tell me of her?"

"She is not of any importance to our mission." I say irritably.

"Is she a lost love of yours?" She presses.

"Enough!" I yell, stopping in the streets. "Adha is long gone and none of your concern." I say trying to calm down. "Now let's finish the mission."

She seems surprised at my reaction to Adha, but I could care less. I have a mission to finish now, and cannot worry my mind over past occurrences.

Once we reach the Bureau Azalea stops and I remember that she is not to enter in the Damascus Bureau. I look at her and see that she is still hesitant after my outburst. "I won't be long…" I begin.

She shakes her head. "I will see you at the Merchant King's palace tomorrow." She says distantly.

"Where will you stay?" I ask concerned.

"Do not worry about me. I will find somewhere to rest for the night. Just focus on arriving tomorrow."

We both stand there in silence uneasily waiting for the other to say or do something to make the situation better. So I bow my head at her and make my way up the ladder to the Bureau. I jump down and speak with the Rafiq. I tell him everything that I have learned about the Merchant King and how I have planned to strike him. The Rafiq seems impressed with my plan and gives me the marker and leave to go. I exit the office of the Bureau and rest on the pillows that beckon me for rest.

Once I lay my head down I enter the lands of dreams. I see Adha for the first time since she was taken from me. I had tried before so hard to keep my mind from thinking of her. But after my brother mentioned her, my mind is too weak to deny her presence. I dream of her capture, and how I so desperately tried to reach her. I see her body now, lifeless and gone, being torn apart by rats and dogs; a gruesome death for someone so beautiful. I push the image from my head and my mind scrambles for something to occupy my dreams. Soon, I see Azalea's face. Her entire face. She is so beautiful, so soft as I caress her face. I look down on her and she smiles with happiness. She is so beautiful when she smiles. Our surrounding change and we are in Masyaf. I am holding the Peace of Eden and she looks up at me with fear in her eyes. I raise the Peace of Eden and throw her across the courtyard. She hits her head and blood drips from her. I thrust out my hidden blade and hold her up against a wall. I yell at her but cannot hear what I say. The blade presses against her neck, drawing a trickle of blood. And with a swift thrust, the blade pierces her neck and she falls to my feet, cold and dead.

I thrust upwards at the terrible vision I have seen. Sweat rains from my body as I inhale deeply. How could I be capable of such a thing? Why would my mind show me such a horrendous act?

I leave the Bureau and make my way to the Merchant King's palace where the festivities lie. Because I did not receive and invitation I have to sneak in, which proves easier than I had expected. Once inside, I look around for the woman. I try to find her black hood in the crowd of rich and extravagant velvet tunics that everyone wears.

As I scan the crowd I notice that there are no women inside besides the dancers. I come to the conclusion that Azalea must be watching the festivities from above when a dancer comes over to me. She moves her hips in ways I can't even imagine possible. I try to push her away, wanting to focus entirely on Nuqoud and my mission, but the dancer is persistent, gyrating next to me. I push the dancer away from me again and this time she turns to me, looking at me, and when I look upon her face I then see that the dancer is Azalea. She does not wear her hood so for the first time I see her eyes and the rest of the top of her face. Her hair and brow are dark as her eyes. Looking into her eyes, seeing myself reflect in them, I begin to feel something twisting in my stomach. But because she cannot wear her hood in her, she teases me by wearing a gold cloth around her mouth so that I again, do not see the entirety of her face.

"Do you realize how ridiculous you look in this outfit?" I say with a laugh, scanning her up and down, admiring the lack of clothing it provides.

"Do you realize how conspicuous you look in your filthy robs." She returns in anger. "This is a festivity for the rich, do you want Abu'l to know you're in the crowd to kill him?"

"What was I supposed to do? I have no extravagant robs."

"Kill or sedate someone and steal their clothing. Now Abu'l will have no doubt who the assassin is in the crowd." She looks at my sword. "You didn't even try to hide your weapons. Look around, Altair, there are no other men with weapons in here!"

"Well then make yourself useful and conceal me from suspicion. I say turning her away from me, forcing her to dance as I lay my hands on her waist as I see many men do to the other dancers.

"You are enjoying this too much, Altair." She says flatly as I find myself smiling.

I look up to the balcony where Abu'l Nuqoud shows himself to the party goers. When I finally see the Merchant King in the flesh I see exactly why the man shelters himself from the world. As I look up at him and his mannerisms I can only think of him as being different.

"Welcome, welcome!" he announces. All the dances stop, including Azalea, and I find myself shrugging behind her to conceal myself from the Merchant King and his guards. "Thank you all for joining me this evening. Please, eat, drink. Enjoy all the pleasures I have to offer."

He brings the crowd's attention to a fountain in the middle of the courtyard that begins to spit out wine. I look at Azalea, mentally telling her that this was the shipment we heard about. Without hesitation, two men run to the fountain with empty gauntlets, filling their chalices with the blood red wine. More guests run to the fountain, filling their chalices with wine, drinking and commenting about the wonders of the Merchant King's festivities. Servants come out handing quests golden goblets, so that everyone has a taste of the wondrous wine.

"I trust everything is to your satisfaction?" He asks looking out to the crowd of happy guests. People raise their goblets at the King, roaring about his generosity. "Good, good" he beams, "It pleases me to see you all so happy. For these are dark days, my friends and we must enjoy this bounty while we still can."

A servant comes to me, handing me a golden chalice on a golden platter. Azalea looks at me, shaking her head in disapproval, but I take the chalice from the servant. Azalea watches me carefully. I dip the chalice in the fountain, but do not take a drink of the wine. Not yet.

"War threatens to consume us all." Nuqoud continues. "Salah Al'din bravely fights for what he believes in, and you are always there to support him without question. It is your generosity that allows his campaign to continue."

I hear something coming from upstairs. I look up to my right and see men running into positions: archers. I slightly tap Azalea on the hip, directing her attention to the archers above and she nods, already aware of their presence.

"So I propose a toast, then," he continues, "To you, my dear friends—who have brought us to where we are today. May you be given everything you deserve for it." I begin to notice some spite in his voice.

"To your health," a guest yells from the sea of people in the crowd and everyone raises their chalices to the man.

"Such kindness," he says pressed. "I didn't think it in you. You—who have been so quick to judge me—and so cruelly." Sensing the change now in the King, the crowd plays ignorant to what he speaks of. "Oh, do not feign ignorance. Do you take me for a fool? That I have not heard the words you whisper behind my back? Well, I have, and I fear I can never forget. But this is not why I called you here tonight. No, I wish to speak more of this war—and your part in it."

I move my gaze from Nuqoud to the archers ahead. As he talks to the people below him about the war the archers begin to brace themselves for an attack on the partygoers. I begin to move away from the main courtyard. I grab Azalea by the elbow and pull her with me as I press her and myself against the wall directly below the east archers.

"—One that will bring about a New World—" I pick up on as I watch the Merchant King once more."—in which all people might live side by side in peace."

I watch as the archers take form, readying to open fire on the unsuspecting partygoers. I press myself against Azalea, so that she is as close to the wall as she can. I stand in front of her, acting as a human shield against the western archers that can fire upon us if they see us. I look into Azalea's eyes and she is calm, not worried about how this will pan out. She looks up at me and smiles, reassuring me that we will be alright.

"A pity none of you will live to see it." Nuqoud finished, and as he does, some of the guests begin to cough; some hold their stomachs, others cry in pain and regurgitate their food.

"Poison." I say and Azalea nods, knowing all along. That's why she did not want me taking the chalice, but I took it to not raise suspicion, always knowing in the back of my head that I shouldn't take the wine.

Chaos breaks and men begin to fall to their knees dying from the poison. Once the secret of the wine's content is out the crowd begins to panic and the archers begin to rain arrows onto the guests after the command of Nuqoud.

I look at Azalea and see no fear in her eyes. Her courage drives me to go after Nuqoud. "Don't get yourself killed." I say to her and leave her to scale the wall, Azalea is quick to follow.

"I'll take care of the archers, go find and kill Nuqoud!" She commands and I nod, trying not to hesitate and show the fear I have of her dying.

I run after the Merchant King, killing his personal guards with no problem. The Merchant King hears one of his men cry out as I impale his neck with my hidden blade. His eyes widen and he turns away from me to run. I am quick to catch up to the large man and I jump onto him, throwing him to the ground, impaling his throat. In his final seconds he tells me of a New World that he was to create with someone other than Salah Al'din as I had thought he was working with. He ominously tells me that I will soon meet the ones he works for, if I haven't already. And with that, he dies on the granite floor of his palace.

I return to the courtyard, expecting the chaos of before, but come to see that the courtyard has emptied to nothing but dead bodies and spilled chalices. I find Azalea, as she checks the bodies for survivors. "Azalea," I let out looking at all the dead archers, "how did you—"

"We should leave before the guards come." Azalea says before I can finish asking how she managed a task not even Al Mualim in his younger years could accomplish.

Azalea and I run from the palace from the back entrance so not to attract the guards' attention. We reach the Assassin's Bureau and Azalea waits outside as I leap down and tell the Rafiq of my success with the Merchant King's death.

"Yes, I heard of your success. Who, might I ask is 'the dancer'?"

"What?" I let out, taken aback by the Rafiq's question.

"The streets whisper of the Dancer and the Assassin that worked together to kill the great Merchant King of Damascus."

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